Computers have become highly integrated in the workforce, in the home, in mobile devices, and many other places. Computers can process massive amounts of information quickly and efficiently. Software applications designed to run on computer systems allow users to perform a wide variety of functions including business applications, schoolwork, entertainment and more. Software applications are often designed to perform specific tasks, such as word processor applications for drafting documents, or email programs for sending, receiving and organizing email.
In many cases, software applications are designed to interact with other software applications or other computer systems. For example, a client computer system might connect to a server in a datacenter to access a service. The service could provide simple or very complex functionality, and may be able to communicate with other services in the process. Such services are often referred to as software as a service or SAAS.
Datacenters configured to provide services often provide many generalized system services in addition to more specific business-oriented services. Providing these generalized services in addition to the business-specific services often leads to inefficiencies system-wide.